The Riverside Quarry is about the most unscenic crag on earth and a total wonder all at the same time.

There’s trash at the base of rubble pile which is at the base of the cliff. The chirps of the darting swallows so typical at Southern California cliffs are over-taken sound of dudes riding around on ATVs interspersed with the “crack crack crack” of Nerds In Black chasing each other with paint ball guns. To top it off, rumbling in the distance is Highway 60 shuttling sub-prime Inland Empirites into Los Angeles in 200 square foot cars to work dead end jobs that it cost them more to commute to than they earn.

On the way out there last weekend, Stein, my co-pilot told me he was glad I brought a helmet. “I know,” I said, “I hear there’s a lot of loose rock.”

“Not loose rock,” said Stein, “falling trash.”

Apparently bums, kids and other people who don’t really think it through like to throw things from the top of the cliff. Things like old set top boxes, VCRs, shoes, bowling balls, what have you.

The cliff is seeminlgy (and probably accurately) held together by glue, bolts and chains. It’s like climbing in the gym except with 100 foot pitches and serious hazards

But alas, the climbing is actually quite amazing. Not much in the way of moderates, and I got my ass kicked by Randy, Scoot and Stein, who all climb 12C or better with ease.

So this is a picture of Alexis’ great grandmother. She and her husband settled in Boulevard, off the 8, in the middle of nowhere. I guess when you live in a place like that, you get really excited about exercise as she and her husband Charles did. And then you do chin ups in your dress and shoes.